If you know me IRL, you know that I am slightly obsessed with Fitbit fitness trackers. Every day I try to hit at least 10K steps, I check my sleeping stats religiously, and get into somewhat heated stepping competitions with friends and family on the app. But as far as obsessions go, this one has helped me get off the couch, become more fit, and yes, lose weight.

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My first Fitbit tracker was Fitbit Alta, I loved its sleek design and how inconspicuous it was. I could stack a few bracelets around it to dress it up, or wear it as-is and not feel like I had a fitness tracker on – it was pretty perfect. Then, a few months ago I tried Fitbit Charge 2, and with this tracker I could also monitor my heart rate, helping me get a more precise reading of my daily calorie burn, and helping me track exercise better.

But while I loved the functionality and features of Charge 2 (Guided Breathing Sessions were a huge bonus!), with its wider screen and band I found myself missing my thinner tracker. What I really wanted was to wear my Alta, but with all of the benefits of heart rate readings too. Well, my prayers have been answered with the new and improved Fitbit Alta HR – it still offers the same stylish design, but this time with a PurePulse Heart Rate monitor built-in, so I can track low-step exercise like Barre better, keep an eye on my resting heart rate changes, and get a better overall understanding of my fitness level.

These days my Fitbit Alta HR is on my wrist every single day – from work to sleep and everything in between, and I truly can’t imagine how I ever functioned without it. It made me a more active person, and it fits my personal style – what more can you ask for?

Since April, I’ve been tracking my steps with Fitbit, and I am a woman obsessed! I wear my Fitbit everywhere, and when I do forget to put it on (post-shower, or while it’s charging), I feel super disappointed about not tracking those steps (if you didn’t track them, did the steps actually happen?). And while I usually stash my Fitbit Alta into my clutch when I dress up, pretty soon, I won’t have to, thanks to this amazing Public School x Fitbit Alta collection that will be available for pre-sale next month, and on sale in November.

“Together with Fitbit, our vision is to help people move effortlessly from day to night with a look that reflects their unique style and attitude — and motivates them to stay healthy and fit,” shared Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, cofounders of Public School.

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Just like Fitbit’s own silver and gold Alta bracelets that will be in stores soon, the Public School collection aims to make fitness trackers a stylish accessory instead of a workout-only gadget, and I am all for it. Can’t wait to pick up a couple of bands to change up the look of my Fitbit Alta.

What do you think of Public School x Fitbit Alta collection? Share in the comments.

If you follow me on Instagram or Snapchat, you’ve probably noticed my affinity for counting my steps. For the last month or so, I’ve been test-driving the new Fitbit Alta fitness watch and if I had to sum it up in two words, it would be ADDICTIVELY AWESOME. Not only are the new Fitbit Alta and Fitbit Blaze models are sleek and stylish, they offer a wealth of knowledge about your activity levels, helping you make better choices every day. Thanks to Alta, I’ve stepped up my walking game – if walking is an option, I do it. I’ve been walking from the subway instead of taking the bus, taking the stairs instead of the escalator, taking the longer route home, instead of the more efficient way. My daily goal is to hit 10,000 recommended steps, and even though some days I fail, most days I go above and beyond.Fitbit actually made me realize just how little I move when I work from home. Some days I only hit 600 steps by the time it’s 5pm – basically from my couch to the kitchen and back. Being aware of those low activity days is important, because now I try to make up for them by taking an extra-long walk at the end of the day.

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Another Fitbit feature that I am obsessed with is the sleep tracker. I get tired a lot, and for the longest time I was sure that I was getting at least 8 hours of sleep, blaming my tiredness on other factors. But guess what, after wearing the tracker for over a month, I now know that I rarely get 8 or more hours of sleep. Most days I am lucky to get 7 hours! The sleep tracker tells you the quality of sleep – distinguishing between sleep, restlessness and being fully awake. Seeing all of those “toss and turn” minutes is a pretty eye-opening revelation, helping me track down the triggers that may be causing those bouts of sleeplessness as well as reminding me to go to bed earlier.

On top of counting your steps, and analyzing the quality of your sleep, Fitbit Alta also tells you how many calories you burn, tracks exercise, distance walked, and total active minutes, reminds you to take your 250 steps every hour with a little buzz to the wrist, as well as shows your incoming text messages and calls. If you’re diligent enough to keep a food diary, you can do it on the Fitbit app too.

I never knew just how much Fitbit can do, and can truly say that I’m obsessed with my Fitbit Alta. With a variety of stylish bands – from metal to leather, there’s no reason to ever remove that stylish gadget from your wrist (other than to charge or shower). I wear mine to bed, to the gym, to work…every step I take, Fitbit’s watching me…ok that sounded kinda sinister, but you get the point.

So tell me, do you use Fitbit? And if not, WHY NOT?! Share in the comments.

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WHO IS NELIA?

Nelia Belkova is a Toronto-based fashion and lifestyle blogger by night and a financial analyst by day. She loves to travel, read gossip sites, eat sweets, and cuddle up to her husband and her cat on the couch. Read More…